Coll 28/97 ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries’ [‎144r] (287/749)

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THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT
o'?'
November 16, 1943.
PERSIA.
Sjection 1.
SECRET.
| C Copy No.
[E 7027/110/34]
R. Bullard to Mr. Eden.—(Received 16^ November.)
(No. 441.)
HIS Majesty’s representative presents his compliments to His Majesty’s
Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and has the honour to transmit
herewith a copy of Intelligence Summary No. 44 for the period the 26th October
to 1st November, 1943. compiled by the military attache to this legation.
Tehran, '2nd November. 1943.
Enclosure.
Military Attache's Intelligence Summary No. 44 for the Period 2§th October to
\st November, 1943.
(Secret.)
Persian Affairs.
Political.
THE Government survived an interpellation on the matter of the nation’s
bread supplies on the 31st October and obtained a vote of confidence from fiity of
the eighty-one Deputies present. 1 he Shah had previously sent a message to
certain Deputies, who he believed were working for the overthrow of Soheily and
the substitution of Seyyid Zia. in which he made it clear that in no circumstances
would he accept Seyyid Zia as Prime Minister and that he expected them to
support the present Government.,
2. Persians are now convinced that thev see clear evidence of stride between
Russian and British policv in Persia. The British support the American advisers;
the Russians oppose them. The British have the Minister for War and the
Chief of the General Staff; the Russians have General Razmara as Chief oi the
Shah’s Military Secretariat, Seyyid Zia is pro-British; the. Russians are
strongly opposed to Seyyid Zia. The British want the Central Government to
I establish its authority; the Russians encourage local autonomy. The Russians
have their candidates for the elections; the British have theirs.
W 3 . Dr. Millspaugh’s ultimatum to the Persian Government expires on the
2nd November. As there is now no possibility of the Income Tax Bill being
n 1 1 1 11* * * -I 11 -a.-v-M/'v/'.i-i l~v 1 -CT n T'i I /XO O 1V Cl
Ma ''5 an ^ receives from the Deputies some adequate guarantee that the Bill will be approved
s, y. eir.k r ^ -y ag soon as possible. , 1 ^ „ ,
y^<v - 4 a Bill was laid before the Majlis on the 24th October to define the
offences and punishments referred to in the Government’s communique which was
reported in Summary No. 38 /43, paragraph 2. The offences are those connected
with the wilful damage of communications, installations, factoiles, ports, Ac.,
of importance to the Imperial Government or its Allies, the spreading of false
or subversive news, the theft of arms, ammunition or military stores, subversive
activities aoainst the Government or concealing enemy agents. These offences
will be tried by military courts. Details will be reported when the Bill
becomes law.
Economic.
5 The Majlis has approved regulations governing the application of the
law which ^ranted a credit of 500 million rials for the assistance of underpaid
Government employees (see Summary No. 38/43, paragraph 6 ). The regulations
allow financial assistance from the 24th July, 1943, to all employees of the Court
and all civilian employees of the Government, the Majlis and municipalities,
including members of'the police force, but not of the gendarmerie or army.
[47—46] ASJT,